Relationship Between Toph and Dave Redraft - AHWOSG

How does Eggers present the relationship between him and Toph in chapters 1-5 of  AHWOSG?

Redraft 

Eggers uses imagery of protection, displays of immaturity and flashes of insecurity in order to present the dysfunctional dynamic between Toph and Dave’s younger self.

Eggers presents Dave’s feeble attempts at responsibility and protection over Toph with the symbolic imagery of painting superheroes on Toph’s bedroom wall “ for decoration and protection”. The concept of combining those nouns is childish, but the abstract noun “protection” inspires connotations of familial instincts, affection and care - a concept that might resonate with a parental reader. A younger audience might respond in a more reluctantly sentimental way, as the gaudy gesture is a rather embarrassing - thus resonating more with Toph.

This concept of guardianship is developed by Dave’s propensity for segregating Toph and himself apart from other families, as exemplified by the declarative sentence “We are orphans.As orphans, we are celebrities.”. The inclusive pronoun “we” separates Toph and Dave from the others, setting them apart in a distinct categorical way.Meanwhile, the nouns “orphans” and “celebrities” are almost oxymoronic in terms of contrasting status, which in and of itself contradicts the sentiment Dave is attempting to convey. Eggers uses this contrast in order to present Dave’s desperate attempts to portray his and Toph’s significance - he believes that their tragic circumstances elevate their status, an example of Dave’s sense of entitlement for Toph and himself. Eggers first introduced the concept Dave’s sense of entitlement for Toph and himself at the beginning of chapter 2, with the declarative “we are owed”, which gives connotations of significance and rewards with the verb “owed”, whilst again grouping Toph and himself into the inclusive pronoun “we”.

In contrast to Dave’s brazen ideas of self-importance, Eggers often presents the entropic state of their living arrangements in order to reflect the state of their dysfunctional relationship, specifically with the idea of Dave “converting Toph to [his] slovenly ways.” The lexical choice of the gerund verb “converting” brings forth concepts of manipulation and corruption whilst the adjective “slovenly” inspires connotations of lazy unkemptness and languid nonchalance. The negative connotations of this lexis might concern the reader and motivate them to see Dave as an unfit role model who is detrimental to Toph’s development.

This underlying negative perception of the way Dave parents Toph is frequent and rather alarming to the reader in some cases. For example, Dave describes a roleplay game in the second chapter entailing Dave as an abusive father and Toph as the child victim; “Our best trick, it to pretend, for the benefit of the neighbours, that I’m beating Toph with a belt.” Eggers uses the lexical phrase “best trick” to summarise Dave’s perception of the act, with the noun “trick” already giving connotations of ill-mannered schemes, and the pre-modifying adjective “best” allowing the reader to understand that Dave is clearly proud of such misconduct. The sarcastic declarative “for the benefit of the neighbours” displays Dave’s selfish disregard for others comfort at the expense of his own amusement.

Perhaps the most alarming of all is Dave’s own spiel of paranoid thoughts about Toph, ranging from the relatively mild fear of social services in response to their state of entropy to the rather disconcerting flight of fancy in chapter 5, wherein Dave describes graphic depictions of Toph’s torture and murder during his absence. During a debate with himself, Dave shows the reader his indecisive nature when faced with the uncertainty of Toph’s wellbeing; “There is no risk.But there is risk. But the risk is worth it.” The repetitive use of the conjunction “but” shows Dave’s  conflicting viewpoints, presenting Dave as ill-equipped in dealing with a dilemma concerning Toph’s safety with any stability or rationality.The reiterative use of verb “risk” inspires the feeling of a constant threat for the reader, as it is the focus for each statement. The fact that the statements are simple sentences hastens the pace, adding to the hyper vigilant back and forth of Dave’s scatterbrained thoughts and creates impact with each declarative. 

In conclusion, Eggers often presents Dave as bad role model of Toph, sometimes to the point of risking Toph’s wellbeing. Dave is manipulative in his intentions towards Toph, immature in his search of entertainment and insecure in the face of making the right decisions to Toph’s best interest. Despite this, Dave’s overprotective nature, brotherly affection and loneliness in the absence of Toph makes their dynamic, although dysfunctional, rather unconventionally charming and sentimental.Although the more rational, parental figures of the audience may be more reluctant to allow Dave’s guardianship of Toph, other, perhaps younger, members of the audience might be reluctant to see them separate.